Not Ra??? | Arthritis Information

Well...it's been awhile since I've posted. I've been quite busy with a 9 mo old, 2 yr old, my 3 yr old, 16 yr old and now Friday an 8 yr old. Haven't had time to spend on me. Which brings me to the reason for my post tonight.

Went to my 1 yr check up with RD. He ran x-rays, blood work, etc...and said well, you x-rays are good, blood work is still negative but have high inflammation marker. Maybe you don't have RA after all, maybe it's Fibro, well...except for the inflammation. We can try to treat you for Fibro and see how it goes, what do you think? Well...I told him that there was a new RD closer to home and I was going to see her. He said good...fresh set of eyes may be good.

My problem is that I have never had the 18 tender points. So I never thought about fibro. My feet have been killing me from my ankles down to my toes for sometime now, as well as my hands. Does prednisone relieve pain for fibro as well as RA? I'm so confused and just want to find something that will treat whatever I have.

Any comments, suggestions or encouragement would be most appreciated.

You do not have to have all 18 of the tender points, only 11 is required to be fibro. I do not know how many I had, but it was enough that my RD said I had fibro.

No, prednisone does not help with fibro at all. I just figured that out not to long ago. Remember back when I was thinking the prednisone was not helping me anymore, back around October '07? Well... that is why... because it was fibro making me hurt and do bad.

I can tell you this much... Fibro does not cause swelling. The pain is not in the joint but around the joint. And it is not symmeterical like RA is, it could be your left hip area and your right ankle killing you.

Hope that helps! I hope it is just fibro for you, and not RA, but still a bummer about the fibro.

Good to hear from you. Sounds like you have been extra busy lately!

Thanks for the info june-bug!

I don't believe I have any of the tender points and prednisone helps me. I just choose not to take it. I also have the symmetrical thing too...is there anything else that mimics RA?

How are you doing these days? Feeling good? Meds working for you? Take care of yourself and thanks for always responding to my posts june-bug.
A Q about the tender points...are they spots on your body that just hurt if you have fibro, or does someone have to actually press on them to make them hurt?Lisa, it doesn't sound like fibro to me, especially if it's centered in the hands and feet. There are other diseases that are similar to RA, a lot of them I think. I hope someone with more knowledge of that will post. But I did find this quote on the Cedars-Sinai website:

"Additionally, conditions like lupus, sarcoidosis, amyloidosis, ankylosing spondylitis and Whipple's disease can mimic rheumatoid arthritis." (http://www.cedars-sinai.edu/7006.html)

Linncn, I think the answer to that is that for the tender points you have, they always hurt when someone presses on them, and they sometimes can hurt without any pressure on them at all (but that is not required for diagnosis).

Thanks InnerGlow!

I went to my new RD this morning and after she ran me through the ringer, she said sero-negative RA. She is changing my meds to Arava 20 mg daily, and I will go back in a month. It's so frustrating trying to figure out what's going on with our bodies. My feet just hurt so bad!!!

Well... welcome back to the RA camp! Your tent is right over there *points to a recliner in a big purple tent next to a babbling brook* No really Brook likes to babble so I am sending you over there to keep her from babbling to me all the time.

I hope the Arava helps. I know that stupid MTX sure did nothing for ya.

Good Luck!

Keep us posted!

Blessed, I guess I shouldn't say welcome back, but welcome back. I like most people here have both. I can say one thing I have had Fibro for a very long time. My feet and hands have never hurt this bad in all the time I have had FM. With FM though I do hurt most of the time. Take care Blessed you have your hands full.....

I hope the Arava helps. I had too many side effects on it and changed to Imuran, which worked better for me.

Just keep after them until you get something that works. Hey Blessed, I'm so embarrassed. I asked a Q but forgot to say.........I hope the Arava works well and you get to feeling well. Sounds like you could really use it. It's a wonderful thing you're doing for all those kids :)WOW Blessed, you do have your hands full with all those kids! I hope you feel better soon! My feet hurt alot to and it's no fun especially when you want to walk.

take care